


Dancing Shadows

by inChuck_we_trust



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Benny Lafitte & Dean Winchester Friendship, Benny teaches Dean some manners, Bipolar Disorder, Boobie Trap, Castiel doesn't know what he did wrong, Castiel has a girlfriend, Creepy Alastair (Supernatural), Dean Winchester Does Karaoke, Dean Winchester Has a Girlfriend, Dean Winchester Hates Castiel, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Open Relationships, Original Character(s), Polyamory, Slow Burn, Smut, Strippers & Strip Clubs, big dick energy, lots of good songs, profanity im sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-02-15 22:48:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18678889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inChuck_we_trust/pseuds/inChuck_we_trust
Summary: Dean Winchester works security at a strip club. A dorky accountant fresh from college unknowingly causes a lot of problems.





	1. Witchy Woman

Dating a stripper is awesome. _Exotic Dancer_ I mean. Don’t tell Maya I just called her a stripper. She’ll kill me. Anyway, it really is awesome. They’ve got perfect bodies and have plenty of outfits to indulge just about any kink a guy could have. Cowgirls, sexy nurses, lady cops and the classic catholic schoolgirls. You name it, they can supply. Not to mention they can totally rock your world in bed. All that flexibility they’ve got to have to swing around on those poles really comes in handy.

“Hey Dean” Nicolette walks through the dark, tinted doors and puts her manicured hand on my hip.

“Hey Nicole. What’re the sets tonight?” I ask

“You’ll have to wait and see. Also, you know you can’t call me that here.” She kisses my cheek and slips a little tongue. She lands a firm grip on my ass and squeezes before flipping her long, raven hair and walking away.

“Can’t wait to see you up there, Havana.” I call to her.

That’s another great thing about Maya. With her job, she knows it can be hard to hold onto a committed relationship. We decided at the start of our relationship nearly three years ago, that it would be an open one. She’s still my number one, go-to girl and I do like her a lot but neither of us are really into the idea of sticking to one person. As long as we talk about it beforehand, we’re both free to mess around with whoever we want. Polyamory has a mean stigma but damn its fun.

“Damn, brotha’. When’d you bag Nicolette?”

“Tuesday. Her skimpy astronaut set on Monday night was really hot. Didn’t know I had a thing for that but I guess you learn something new everyday.” I shrug.

“I can’t believe Maya’s cool with that, man. You got lucky with that one.”

“Benny, my friend, you have no idea. I mean, she sleeps with other guys. It’s not like it’s one sided though.”

Benny nods and looks around at the couple of girls serving the tables. “I need to get me one of them.”

“I bet any of them would be game. Except Miranda since she’s married and has a kid. You probably ought to stay a hundred miles from that. I can ask Maya who she thinks might be interested.

“That’d be great. So I want thinking-“ Benny is interrupted by a woman stepping between us.

“Excuse me!” Oh god. Rowena. “I know I did not just hear you use real names in this establishment during business hours.”

“Uh…” Shit this woman has the ears of a bat.

“You have worked here for how long, Dean Winchester?” She’s leaning in really close to me. So close I can smell her old lady perfume. I know I’m looking at her like a kid caught in the kitchen past his bedtime. “Hmm? I asked you a question!”

“Three years,” She looks at me like I’m supposed to say something else, “… Ma’am.”

“You are a bodyguard. You of all people should understand the importance of these girls’ privacy. Your girlfriend for goodness sake! You’re putting her in danger. Her name is Dallas here. You call her nothing but that while on this property. Do you understand?”

“Yes ma’am. I’m sorry.” I say with a slight undertone of sarcasm, per usual.

Her face softens and she pats me on the cheek. “Good boy.” She turns to Benny. “Dear, I’d like you to watch the back door tonight. Walk the girls to their cars.”

“Of course. I’m on it.” Benny looks over her to me and winks. My boy just might have a chance at getting some tonight. Rowena begins to walk away.

“Hag.” I mumble when she seems out of earshot. She stops dead in her tracks and pivots of her gold, snakeskin heels. She whips her head around so quick her hair spins out in a red tornado of corkscrew curls. She is back in my face within a half second. She grabs a tight hold on my chin and her long nails hook into my jaw. I think she’s going to eat me alive just before I’m saved.

“Mother. Kindly remove your talons from the boy’s flesh” I watch annoyance rise up on her face and she rolls her eyes.

“Fergus, I’m simply defending my honor since I cannot rely on my son to do it for me.” She tightens her grip and snaps her glare to his direction. “He called me a…” She puts her other hand on her chest as if clutching pearls. Dramatic as ever. “A hag!” She scoffs. As if on cue, the [Eagles “Witchy Woman”](https://dai.ly/x2o00wr) starts playing through the overhead speakers.

Crowley smirks and points to the speaker above us. “I believe you’re being summoned Witch.”

Rowena huffs and deepens her glare at both of us. She digs her nails deeper into my jaw for a second then releases me. She stomps away behind the stage mumbling under her breath. Probably trying to put a hex on me.

“You’re welcome. Don’t say I’ve never done anything for you.” Crowley gives a quick laugh and goes back to his office. I rub my chin and look at my hand to check for blood. That bitch sure had a strong hand. I decide I’m probably fine and turn my attention to the stage.

From where I stand at the front doors, its hard to see the girls on stage sometimes but I’d recognize that strut anywhere. “Dallas” is working the stage like a pro as usual. She’s wearing a huge headdress and has jade and gold jewelry everywhere from her ears to her neck and bellybutton ring. She’s slipping her faux animal skin top off just as the chorus starts. This is one of the costumes I helped her choose and its one of my favorites. It’s totally politically incorrect but its so hot. Sammy scolded me when I told him what she and I were planning. I feel bad about it but the audience at strip clubs really has very little room to complain when they are frequently caught jacking off to the nuns. Besides, the costume fits the band’s album covers so well. I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The song wraps up and Maya shoots me a look from the stage and mouths a “thanks”. She just made some really good tips.

I’m able to watch a few more sets before I have to card a customer. I’ve seen him a few times before. Last time he was here we had to kick him out for touching one of the girls too much. He’s a real slimly looking guy. His license says his name is Alfred. He’s one of Nicolette’s regulars. I think she’s said he goes by Alastair. The name is totally ridiculous but as long as he’s paying, we have to call him whatever he wants.

“Alright man. Be good. This is your last chance. Don’t make me remove you again.” I try to puff out my chest a little at the second half of my statement. I know I’m naturally intimidating but you can never put too much fear in a guy.

I’m going to keep a close eye on him tonight. I pull out my phone and send Benny and the other guards a text to warn them that a guy from the watch list is here. I tell them where he’s sitting and that he’s probably going to request a private show with Nicole. They respond quickly and agree to keep a lookout. Benny says he’ll let Nicole know he’s here. Watching the creep should be easy since it was a Thursday night and there were all of five customers in the whole building.

Crowley comes out from his office about 15 minutes later and tells me I can take a quick break. I shoot the boys another text to let them know I’d be off duty for a few minutes and take off to sit in a back corner booth. A calendar alert pops up on my phone screen.

_May 2, 2019: Sammy’s Birthday_

“Shit.” I hit send on the text and dial Sam. He picks up on the fourth ring.

_“Dean?”_

“Sammy! Happy birthday kid. How old are you now? Twelve? Man, they grow up so fast.” I fake a nostalgic sigh.

 _“Dean I’m 19. This isn’t funny anymore.”_ I can practically hear Sam roll his eyes.

“Come on Sammy. I’m messing with you. How are finals going?”

_“Uh, I’m studying for Econ right now. It should be easy.”_

Over the speaker the announcer introduces the next girl. “And next on the stage, The Boobie Trap’s very own, Havana!”

_“Wait. Are you at work right now??”_

I pause. I’m not sure if there are consequences to telling him the truth. I don’t see a problem with it so I say yes and explain that I’m on break

Sam laughs. _“Its not drag night is it?”_

“Oh no. Thank _God_ it’s not.”

 _“I still can’t believe you tried to ask a drag queen out.”_ Sam snickers on the other end.

Once a month, The Boobie Trap hosts a drag show. I was still fairly new to the job and no one informed me of the special occasion. One of the girls was really hot. With the lights, hair and makeup, there were no tell-tale signs telling me she was anything other than a woman. At the end of the night I had gone to the back to talk to her and see if she was interested in drinks. Walking into the dressing room and finding a lot of nearly-naked men with their junk tucked and wearing silicon boobs was confusing to say the least. Turns out her name was Adam.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I physically shudder at the thought of having sex with another penis.

Sam laughs hard and releases a satisfied sigh. _“Alright man. Thanks for the birthday call. I need to be getting back to studying. I’ll be home this time next week so I guess I’ll probably see you at Mom’s for Sunday dinner?”_

“Uh, yeah I think so. I’m pretty sure Crowley is still giving me Sundays off.” I reply.

_“Okay cool. I’ll see you then. Bye Jerk.”_

“Good luck on your tests. Bye Bitch.”

I click the end button and stuff my phone back in my pocket. I watch the end of Nicolette’s show and decide my break is probably just about up. As I stand up to return to my post, I see Alastair follow Nicole back to the private rooms. I take out my phone again and send a message to one of the other guards, Bryen, asking him to cover my area while I monitor the back hall where the private rooms are. I lean against the wall outside the room they had just disappeared into and listen closely for any sounds of distress. There are some moans and grunts from the other side of the door but nothing out of the usual. Nicole is good. I get it. A few minutes in though, she screams.

I shove off the wall and bust into the room. Nicolette is pressed against the opposing wall and Alastair is sitting in a chair in the center of the room. He’s got his legs spread wide and a disgusting smile on his face.

“What the hell is going on? Havana are you okay?” I stand in front of her to intercept the creepy look he’s giving her. My back is to her so I can stare him down with all of the terror of fire and brimstone in my eyes.

“He fucking came on me!” She yells.

That wasn’t what I was expecting. I mean, I wouldn’t put it past the guy but what the fuck. I know my shock shows in my face because the he starts laughing. I look closer at him and his dick is totally out of his pants. He’s covering it with his hands but its definitely still there. “Alight creep. You’re done. Put that pencil dick away and get the hell out of here. Havana, go to Rowena. She’ll help you. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I grab Alastair’s upper arm and yank him up out of the chair. He’s still putting himself back in his jeans when I drag him out into the hall.

On the way to the boss, I recite the rules to him. “No touching, no profanities, no personal questions, no indecency or nudity. I pretty sure you’ve now found a way to violate all of those rules.” I march him to Crowley’s office and enter without knocking. “This sick fuck just jizzed on Havana.”

Crowley sighs, stands from his chair and walks in front of his desk. “Haven’t we already removed you before?”

I answer for him. “Yeah, just a few weeks ago.”

Crowley puts his hands in his pockets and leans back against the desk. “What’s your name?”

“Alastair.” The guy sneers. I tighten my grip on his arm and he winces. “Alfred.”

Crowley inhales deeply and nods. “Show me your driver’s license. We need to get your information and take a lovely little picture to add to our Pervert Hall of Fame.” Alfred fishes his wallet out of his pocket and hands his license to the boss. Crowley takes it after snapping on a pair of latex gloves. “Can’t take any chances. I’m not particularly interested in coming in contact with your seed.” He writes some things down in a big binder and picks up a polaroid camera. “Say degenerate!”

The camera clicks and the photo prints out. Crowley waves it around a few times then tapes it into the binder. “Okay Alfred. You’re free to leave and never come back.”

I nod to the boss and pull Alfred from the room and down the back hall to the back door. I push open the big steel door and shove him out. “Freak.” I snap at him and slam the door shut.

“Woah. What was that about?” Benny asks. I just shake my head and wave him off. I’m way too pissed off and disgusted to explain it again. I really just want to check in on Nicolette.

I knock on the door to the girls’ dressing room and open it a crack. “Dude comin’ in. Hide the titties.” I stick my head into the room. Maya hops up from a chair and basically skips to the door. She pulls me in and kisses me.

“Hey baby. What are you doing in here? Shouldn’t you be watching the front?” she asks. She’s holding onto my biceps and looking up at me with beautiful brown eyes. She must be in the process of taking her makeup off because she’s got only one fake eyelash on. She’s still gorgeous.

“I’m about to head back out. I just wanted to check on Nicole after what happened.”

“Oh she’s alright I think. Rowena is having her take a shower and said she could go home early. That’s so disgusting what happened. I just can’t believe some people.” She shakes her head in disappointment.

I nod in agreement. “Do you want to come over tonight? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

She hums as if she’s checking through a mental calendar and breaks into an award winning smile. “I think I can make that work. I forgot my key for your place at home though. When are you off tonight?”

I check my watch. It’s only 2 am. “An hour. Would you be okay to wait ‘till then? We could get some dinner on the way.”

She smiles again. Bigger this time. “Sounds great. I’ll get cleaned up. I’ll be ready by the time you’re done.”

I smile back, kiss her on the forehead and pull her into a tight hug. “Cool. I’ve gotta get back. See ya in a bit.”

She walks me back to the door and kisses me one more time. “See ya.”

 

***

 

The hour hand on my watch finally reaches 3. The final set finishes just seconds before. “Alright gentlemen. That was the last one. Time to go back to your wives and kids.” I call out over the speaker. The couple of men left begin paying their tabs and heading towards the door. When the last guy stumbles out, I lock the door behind him.

“Maya!” I stick my head back into the dressing room.

“Just a second!” The loud whirring of her blowdryer nearly drowns out her call.

Beth slips by me to get into the dressing room. “Chastity, that was a great closing set you just had.” She slides a pair of fluffy, white angel wings off of her shoulders.

She gives me a tired smile in the large vanity mirror. “Thanks.”

The screaming hair drier finally shuts off and Maya walks out of the bathroom in one of my old sweatshirts, well-fitting blue jeans and tennis shoes. She looks good. We’ve been doing this thing for so long and I’ve always thought she looks best when she’s just herself.

“Ready?” I ask. She tosses her things into the cabinet that has her name scrawled in gold glitter glue.

“Yep! Have a good night, Beth. Tell Rowena I’ve left when you see her. Love you, girl.”

“You too!” Beth replies as we leave. I grab Maya’s hand and lace my fingers between hers. We walk out the back door and say goodbye to Benny. Every time Maya sees my car, she comments on Baby’s beauty. She’s right. The Impala is immaculate. I sometimes wonder though if Maya only hangs out with me for the car but then I remember I’m hot as hell and that’s definitely the reason she’s with me.

“So, I was thinking we could get Waffle House?” I suggest as we slide into the Impala.

“Waffles sound amazing.” She flips on the radio and switches it to one of the local classic rock stations. At the restaurant we each order a huge stack of waffles and mountain of bacon. I suppose it’s unfortunate that we’re both so terrified of commitment but I really just can’t ever see myself living some settled-down, apple pie life.


	2. Houses of the Holy

A dog barking outside riles me from an awesome dream about cowboys and the dinosaurs. I inhale deep and stretch my arms out above me. I flop back onto the bed and hear Maya grumble next to me. _Shit._ She’s an angry sleeper like me. It’s best not to wake her and make sure there’s coffee ready to go as soon as she opens her eyes. I scoot out of bed and make my way to the kitchen to do just that. I turn on the morning news in the living room to listen to while I get the coffee ready. A few minutes later, after the smell of the fresh brew starts to escape the confines of the kitchen, Maya shuffles out of the bedroom in a t-shirt too big for even me and mismatched socks.

“Hello, beautiful. How’d you sleep?” I put a full coffee mug on the counter in front of her. She takes it a sips it slowly. She has yet to open her eyes on her trek in here. She takes one more sip and gives me thumbs up. I can’t help but smile at her. It’s amazing to see the difference between “Dallas” and the Maya. “You want some toast before you head to work?” I ask.

“Oh crap I totally forgot it was Thursday! What time is it?” Her eyes spring open and fill with panic.

“It’s only 7:30. You’re fine.” I chuckle a little.

She sighs in relief. “Oh thank god. I have to give a quiz today. I think toast would be good.” I nod and she smiles her absolutely stunning smile at me. She moves into the living room and plops down on the couch to watch the rest of the news.

I drop the bread into the toaster and take my phone off it’s charger. There’s a text from Sam.

_“Finished my last test today. Jess is helping me pack up my dorm. We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.”_

_“How do you think you did? Tell Jess I said hi.”_

I set my phone back on the counter just as the toaster pops. I spread some butter and sprinkle cinnamon on the slices before taking them into the living room to sit next to Maya.

We spend the next hour eating breakfast and getting ready for work. At 8:30 we pour ourselves two travel mugs of coffee and head out to our respective cars.

“Oh, um. I forgot to talk to you about this earlier. Benny is kinda lonely. Are any girl’s you think might be interested?” I ask. She leans against her driver’s side door, twirling her keys in her fingers.

“Amanda maybe? I’ve caught her looking at him a few times before. She’s real sweet though so you’d better make sure he isn’t just messing with her. She doesn’t need that.”

“I’ll make sure he treats her well. Benny thanks you.” I wrap her in a hug and kiss her on the top of the head. “Are you working tonight?”

“No, I’ve got help my mom with some stuff so I’ll be in Derby all weekend.”

I nod. A little disappointed honestly. “Alright. I’ll see you next week then. Get outta here before you’re late to the school.” She kisses me and gets into her cherry red mustang. I watch her pull away before getting into the Impala and pulling out onto road, going the opposite direction she did.

 

***

 

“Hey Bobby!” I walk up behind him and clap a hand on his shoulder.

“Dean. Good to see ya boy. That Celica over there has your name written all over it. It just needs an oil change and new power steering fluid.”

“Got it.”

I’m not normally a fan of anything that isn’t a Chevy, GM, or Ford but looking at this car, someone obviously loves it. It’s metallic silver paint looks to be the original coat and is still in perfect condition. I pull the hood open and inspect the good stuff. It is clean. Like Mr. Clean, clean. It’s clearly a show car. There’s a reason Toyota’s are considered some of the easiest cars to work on. I get the fluids flushed out a replaced in minutes and am back asking Bobby for more to do.

Next up is an entire engine rebuild on a 4th generation Camaro Z28. It’s got the ’93 Indy 500 Pace Car paint job. That explains why it needs a new engine. Who ever drives this thing thinks they’re the next Emerson Fittipaldi. I roll the car onto lifts and begin the pain-staking process of pulling the engine out. By the end of my shift, I get the thing out and head back to Bobby’s office.

“Hey I got the engine out of that Z28. Looks like there’s a snapped connecting rod and broken piston. The block is completely rusted out. I think we should talk to them about swapping it out with an iron one. It’ll be heavier but the owner obviously drives it hard so at least this engine will be able to take it.”

Bobby takes down notes on the report I just gave him. “Okay, I’ll call them. Gotta work at the other place tonight?” He asks.

“Yep. I’ve got to be there in about an hour so I need to head out.”

“Alright. Have a good night. Don’t forget your check on the way out.”

I pull an envelope with my name on it out of a plastic file organizer screwed to the wall. “See ya, Bobby.” I wave and head out the garage door to the Impala.

 

***

 

“Dude you’ll never guess what project I got today.” Benny and I are in the process of setting up the bar. I tell him about the abused Camaro and then turn the conversation to Amanda. “Maya may know of someone who you could have a shot at.”

“Oh really? Who’s that?”

“Amanda. She said she thinks she’s seen her checking you out before. I personally have’t talked to her much but its probably worth a shot.”

“Thanks brotha’. I really owe ya’.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You haven’t even talked to her.” I laugh.

“I know, you’re helping me out a ton though.”

I shrug and accept the thanks even though I really didn’t have to do anything. There’s a knocking on the door. We don’t open for another two hours so Benny and I exchange suspicious looks. We both move towards the door and squint to see through the dark tinting. We can only see a silhouette. The person looks to be about my height but beyond that, there’s nothing to go on. The person knocks on the door again. Benny and I play rock, paper, scissors to decide who opens the door and I lose. I flip the lock on the door and crack it open just a hair.

“We’re closed buddy. Come back at ten and you can get your rocks off then.” The door isn’t even open enough to see the person but I hear some shuffling outside. The guy clears his throat.

“Um. I’m from Carter Accounting?” The guy starts.

I interrupt him. “Dude, I don’t care where you work. We’re closed!” I emphasize the last word probably more than necessary.

“I’m from Carter Accounting. My firm was hired by-” There’s a shuffling of papers, “Fergus Macleod?”

I pause and Benny and I look at each other in confusion. “Fergus…?” We both say and then “Ohhh.”

“You’re here to see Crowley?”

“No, Fergus Macl-“

“Yeah he goes by Crowley, dude.” I open the door more to let the guy in. He’s got really messy hair for someone on a business run. He’s wearing a suit that is practically swallowing him its so big. He's looking past me into the club with the ‘deer in the headlights’ look. “Get in here. I need to see your ID.” The guy stumbles in and fumbles for his wallet in his pocket. “You over 21?” I ask with a raised brow.

“Uh. Yes. Yes sir.” He hands me his ID and I hold it under the light.

“Castiel Novak. Castiel? Really?” I laugh. What a ridiculous name. Almost as bad as ‘Alastair’. I feel Benny give me a disapproving look and I shrug it off. He can be such a dad sometimes.

“Alright kid. I’ll take you back to the boss. Get your card and follow me.” Benny waves him along after him.

I watch them walk away. Benny is pointing out people and the bathrooms and whatnot. Castiel looks nervous as a whore in church. He’s clearly never been to a club before.

A few minutes later, Benny returns. “So what’s the deal with him?” I ask. “Why would Crowley hire an accountant?”

Benny shrugs. “Maybe he’s just getting too busy. I’ve got the idea that Rowena doesn’t help much with the books.”

I nod in agreement and get back to setting up the last few things at the bar. The bartender, Daniel, called in tonight so Benny and I would be doing our best to tend bar. Crowley comes out long after we’ve finished with Castiel trailing behind.

“Hello boys. This is Mr. Castiel Novak. He will be tending to our finances for a while. You can expect him on Thursdays from now on. He will also be the one writing your checks so if something is amiss, it’s his problem. Not mine. Show him around and introduce him to everyone.” Crowley looks at the three of us and retreats to his cave of an office.

“I’m Benny. This is Dean.” Benny jabs his thumb in my direction.

The guy shakes our hands. “Its good to meet you, sir.” Castiel says to me.

“Okay, you’ve gotta knock it off with that ‘sir’ bullshit. How old do you think I am?”

The scared look on his face transforms into pure terror like I had just threatened to snap his neck. He shrugs and mumbles something along the lines of “I don’t know”.

“I’m 22 dude. Chill out.” I roll my eyes. This guy really hasn’t really done much to annoy me but he’s some how found a way to piss me off. Benny elbows me hard in the side. I flash him a glare and he sends one straight back at me.

“So Castiel, sorry to point out the obvious but it seems like this is a bit of a new scene for ya’.” He motions around the room to the poles, feathers and neon lights.

“You could say that.” His voice is really gravely. Definitely not what you would expect from looking at him. “My girlfriend doesn’t know this is where the firm sent me. She probably won’t like it when she finds out.”

“Girlfriend? She hot?” Benny asks. He’s leaning on the bar like he’s actually interested in what Castiel has to say. I’m barely even listening. Watching the girls run over their routines is much more exciting.

“We’ve been together since sophomore year of college so four years. I think she’s rather attractive but I suppose I’m biased.”

“Four years? That’s even longer than Dean and his girlfriend!” Of course he had to pull me into a conversation I really wanted no part of. “He’s dating one of the girls.” He point Maya out on the stage. She’s talking to Rowena about something seemingly harmless. Then she points at me. Well shit. That can’t be good. Rowena nods and heads our direction.

“The bat is on her way.” I whisper to Benny. He stands taller in preparation of a verbal smackdown. She reaches the bar but instead of popping off on one of us, she turns to Castiel.

“Hello, Dear. I am Rowena. You must be Castiel?” He is clearly in shock of her accent because it takes him a moment to nod. “It’s very good to have you here. I’m the maternal figure of sorts for the girls here. I take care of them. But don’t worry. I’m not a real mother. I’m still very vibrant and perky.” She winks at him and Benny and I both cringe. Of course she would instantly take to hitting on the new guy.

“Mother!” Crowley shouts from his office. She chooses to ignore him when he calls for her again. He’s looking dead at her when he calls, “ROWENA!” at the top of his lungs. She rolls her eyes and trudges away to the office.

Castiel looks so uncomfortable and out of place. Poor guy. I wonder how he got stuck with a job like this before I remember I don’t care. Thirty minutes later, after introducing Castiel to a few other people, we return him to Crowley to get work done.

“We should invite ‘em for drinks with the guys sometime. He seems like he could use getting out of his shell some.” Benny suggests.

“No way. There’s no way that guy is hanging out with us. Hell, he’s probably still a virgin.” I scoff.

“He said he has a girlfriend.” Benny gives me another disapproving look.

“Doesn’t mean anything. Maybe she’s a prude too.”

It’s now Benny’s turn to scoff. “You can’t just alienate someone because ya’ think they’re a virgin, Dean. I’m inviting ‘em. You don’t have to like ‘em but he really don’t seem all that bad.”

“Whatever.” I grumble. I really don’t want to introduce a guy like Castiel Novak to my friends. I don’t need to be associated with him.

The night passes the same as every Thursday night does here. The girls do their thing, guys get caught rubbing themselves through their pants and get a smack on the hand, and somebody gets too drunk and handsy and is kicked out.

3 AM arrives, slow as ever. “You’re not really going to invite that guy are you?”

Benny shrugs. “Look man, I want you to go. If you’re not going to go just because he’s there, I won’t invite him. It just seemed like he could use some friends here to loosen him up. You know a guy’s gotta have friends ‘round here.”

I sigh, annoyed. He knows better than anyone that guilt tripping me with the “he doesn’t have any friends” card will always work. “Fine. Whatever. Invite the guy. I’m sitting as far from him as possible though. I’m not talking to him.” Benny smiles and takes off to find Castiel. I feel like I’m going to regret letting him hang out with us.

We finish closing and and before long we’re loitering in the parking lot waiting for Benny to talk to Amanda. Not sure how long it takes but he’s finally seen leaving through the back door. He walks over to us with everyone trying to read the look on his face. Had he been rejected? There was no emotion to tell us anything. When he finally reaches us, we all look at him expectantly.

“What?” He asks.

“Don’t give us that shit. Did she go for it?” Michael rolls his eyes.

“Oh… yeah. That.” He pauses for a long time like he’s pondering his response. "She said yes to dinner.” He finally smiles. He’d been fucking with us this whole time. He totally knew he had a shot.

We all cheer and wolf-whistle. A few of us high five each other while Benny stands with a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.

“Okay boys. Let’s get out of here. I need a drink.” We start to load into our cars when Bryen asks the question I had hoped everyone had forgotten about.

“Wait, where’s that new guy? Castiel? Didn’t you invite him, Benny?”

“Yeah, I did. He said his girlfriend would want him home.” He shrugs.

Victor makes the sound and motion of a cracking whip. The guys laugh a little and slide into our cars to head to The Roadhouse.

 

***

 

My phone vibrating on my chest is what wakes me up on Sunday morning. It takes me nearly four rings to muster up the courage to open my eyes and face the sunlight. I shield my face from the sun and look at the caller ID.

“Sam, I’m asleep. What do you want?” I grumble.

_“Just wondering if you were still going to make it for dinner tonight.”_

“Yes, dude I’ve told you like twenty times. I’ll be there.”

_“Okay, okay. Mom just asked me to check.”_

I look at the time on the clock next to the bed. “I guess I’ll leave in about tree hours.”

 _“Sounds good. See you then.”_ The other line clicks to end the call. I toss my phone to the other side of the bed and bury myself back down in the blankets for another hour or two of sleep.

 

***

 

I’m running late. My extra two and half hours of sleep put me way behind schedule to be able to leave in time. I take a quick shower and don’t bother lacing up my boots before I run out to the Impala. I tie them when I get to a stop light. I make the forty minute drive without any complications other than just barely dodging a speed trap that would have cost me my license.

I finally pull into the driveway in front of my childhood home. It is literally a white picket fence house. The tulips and porch swing in the front make it look like it came straight from a “Better Homes & Gardens” issue. I jog up the front walk and into the house. “Mom? Sammy?”

“In here!” Mom calls from the kitchen. I follow her voice and am greeted by the smell of Winchester surprise. A classic. She’s just pulling the casserole out of the oven when I enter the room. “Hi sweetheart. How was the drive?” She puts the dish on the stove top and moves around the table to hug me. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. My mom is my favorite person and she gives the _best_ hugs.

“It was pretty alright. The food smells great.” She releases me to gather plates from the cabinet. I pull silverware from the drawer.

“I don’t think I put enough pork in it this time but it should still be good.”

I nod. “Where’s Sam?”

“He’s upstairs. Still unpacking his things.”

“Be right back.” I sneak as quietly as possible, up the stairs to Sam’s room. His back is turned to the open door so I’m able to grab a foam baseball from one of his shelves without being noticed. I aim, and hurl it towards him. It makes contact with the back of his head and echoes a loud _thwack_ sound.

“What the hell??” Sam spins around and scrambles to find the ball. His giraffe like limbs are really just flailing. He could be a main circus attraction with how disproportioned his teenage body is. It’s when I’m laughing at his clumsiness that he gets me. I see the ball flying toward my face all too late. It smacks my forehead hard. It stings but I’m too focused on tackling him to really care. I lunge over his moving boxes and pounce on him, sending him sailing back onto his bed. I land with one knee on his chest and both his hands pinned down under him.

“Got ‘ya.” I smirked. All of the sudden, a knee jabs into my back. I keel over a little and it’s just enough for Sam to pull his hands out from under him and shove me off. I land on my stomach and in a half second, Sam is sitting cross-legged on my back.

“Got ‘ya.” Sam says.

“Jesus Christ, kid. When’d you get so heavy? Is it the freshman fifteen?” I dramatically gasp for air. He shifts his body to but even more weight on me.

“Truce?” He asks, hold out a hand to shake.

I groan and shake his hand. “Truce.” He gets off of me and it takes every bit of will power I have not to tackle him again in an effort to maintain my “scary big brother” persona. I help him unpack a few things while mom finishes up dinner. I force him to listen to listen to my [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDQ1FUUjPs) while we work and of course he feels the need to complain the entire time. Siblings. Mom finally calls us down and neither of us hesitate to bolt down the stairs.

The food was amazing as always. Sam tells us about his finals and that he expects to have made Dean’s List this semester. He mentions he and Jess are thinking about leasing an apartment together next year instead of living on campus. Mom and I agreed to support it but also suggested they triple check finances before they decide to do something like that.

We all sit together that night watching a bad horror movie from the 50's. By the time ‘The Blob’ eats its sixth person, Mom and Sam have fallen asleep under a huge violet and white afghan blanket. The only thing missing from the picturesque scene is Dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song of the week: Houses of the Holy (Led Zeppelin)  
> I seriously regret the irony of my username following the S14 finale... yikes.


	3. Tequila Makes His Clothes Fall Off

The Thursdays before a holiday weekend suck. Memorial Day weekend is no exception. From the second the doors opened today, we’ve had a steady flow of “guests”. I suppose its not necessarily a bad thing because it means we all get paid more but I also don’t get to watch the girls or talk to Benny. Thankfully, I’ve been assigned to the back door tonight and haven’t had to deal with the public as much. The doorbell rings and I check my watch. There shouldn’t be another girl coming in for another hour. I squint to see through the peephole. The glare from the floodlight outside sort of disguises the figure on the other side but I can see a mess of hair just well enough to know its Castiel. I groan and push the door open for him. He shuffles in and flitches at the sweaty, hairspray contaminated air.

“Hello, Dean.” He glances to me and quickly darts his eyes back to the floor.”

“Crowley went out to dinner. You’re gonna have to find a place to park it ‘till he gets back.”

Castiel scans the hall and the show room looking for what I assume to be a quiet corner to preserve what innocence this place hasn’t stripped from him. Nerves and anxiety flood his face when he looks back to me. “Where? I’m not particularly comfortable sitting among those people.”

For a few seconds I pity him. This guy just wanted a normal 9 to 5 job and got stuck here. I’m sure he didn’t go to college for all those years just to end up working at a club. In those few seconds of weakness, I offer to let him watch the door with me until Crowley arrives. I instantly regret it when his eyes light up like a kid seeing boobs for the first time.

“Really? Thank you, Dean. Where should I put my things?” He lifts his briefcase and rattles it a little. I don’t know the first thing about briefcases or expensive leather but based on the polished gold latches and the small engravings in the leather, I can only assume that it was a gift from rich parents.

I take a few steps down the hall to the dressing room and knock on the door. There’s the sound of clicking heels and the door cracks just enough for Rowena to stick her head through. “Yes Dean?” She batts her eyelashes at me but everything else about her expression says she’s analyzing the most excruciating way to kill me.

“Castiel,” I point down the hall at the dorky accountant, “needs somewhere to put his stuff until Crowley gets back. Can you hold onto it for him?” I pause for a moment debating whether manners were really necessary in this situation. “Please.”

Rowena bursts into a huge smile. “Of course he can! Anything for that gorgeous angel!” She motions for him to come closer. He bows his head in thanks and joins us at the door. He hands his things to her and says ‘thank you’ for real this time. “Oh, it’s no problem dear.” She pats his cheek and lets her fingertips rest there for much longer than necessary. More pity rises in me. Damn, what is wrong with me today?

“Anyway,” I pull her hand from his face, “Castiel will be watching the door with me.”

“Oh, good! We could use some real man power back there.” She looks him up, down, and back up again. “You’ll be just what we need.” She gives me some vicious side-eye and then squeezes Castiel’s bicep. With his ill-fitting suit, I never would have guessed but he’s actually in pretty good shape. I mean that in a totally heterosexual way.

After Rowena stops drooling over Castiel and retreats back into the room, we move back to the door. We stand there in silence, trying not to make eye contact for a solid twenty minutes. Occasionally I hum along to a song playing in the show room or glance over at Castiel to silently judge him. Something about him just irritated me. All of the sudden he speaks up.

“So, Dean. How long have you worked here?” He tilts his head to the left a little when he asks the question. It has a slight resemblance to a puppy.

“Three years.” I reply flatly.

“Wow. Have you ever considered another career? Something that doesn’t require such preposterous hours?”

I shrug. I briefly consider spilling my dreams of going into law enforcement. My juvenile plans of saving people. I decide that Castiel is not the first person I want to tell about my crushed hopes. “I’m happy here. What could be better than seeing half naked girls every night and free booze?”

Castiel nods. I can tell he doesn’t understand my mentality but he chooses to respect it anyway. “I think it’s fair to say that beginning my accounting career in a den of iniquity such as this, was not in my career plan.” He sighs. “I suppose it’s better than nothing at all though. “

I nod. I do understand that. I wasn’t planning on this either but at least I’m lucky enough to have a job and a steady income. “So I overheard you mention a girlfriend? What’s she like?” I’m really just trying to see if the girl is real or just an imaginary friend he’s made up to make his masculinity seem a little more viable.

“Her name is Hannah. We met when we were at K-State. She works in the IT department of a big technology company in Kansas City. Would you like to see her?” I shrug and mumble a “why not”. He removes his phone from his inside jacket pocket and taps on the screen a bit before handing it to me. She’s pretty with dark hair and bright blue eyes. She and Cas’s have such similar eyes they almost look like siblings. I try not to read into that.

I hand the phone back to him. “You’re a lucky guy. You’ve got a good-looking girl, there.”

“Thank you. She is very beautiful.” He smiles. It’s a genuine smile but something about it seems a bit off. Benny mentioned you have a girlfriend as well?”

“Her name’s Maya. Her stage name is Dallas here. She’s one of the best dancers this club has. She really hot. Has an awesome body too.” I smile thinking about last night and the move she finally let me try. “I would use the term ‘girlfriend’ kind of loosely though. It’s an open relationship. We both get some side action.”

“Wow. Really? You don’t get jealous?” He cocks his head to the other side with this question.

“Nah.” I shrug again. “Neither of us are really relationship material. I figure, she lets me mess around and doesn’t get jealous so I have no room to get jealous when she does it. We talk about it beforehand. Family and enemies are totally off limits.” I explain and I can tell that Castiel is genuinely interested in what I’m saying. It’s kind of nice. The only other people that listen like that are my mom and _sometimes_ Sammy.

As soon as I feel myself start to respect that about him though, I remind myself that I don’t like this guy. I internally kick myself for letting that slip. As I debate whether or not to go back to ignoring him, Crowley walks in. Thank God.

“Castiel. My apologies. I forgot it was Thursday. Let’s get you to work.” Castiel nods to me and gives me a quick wave before shuffling off to follow Crowley.

I spend the rest of the night standing at the door quietly. Every once in a while I would walk a girl to her car or kick some creepy, horny bastard out but all in all, it was a pretty boring night. 11 PM finally comes and my shift ends. Benny, Victor and Cole meet me in the locker rooms just a few minutes later.

“Dean-o!” Cole claps a hand over my shoulder. “We gettin’ drinks tonight?”

“Hell yeah.” I reply with absolutely zero hesitation.

“Cool. We inviting the new guy?” He’s not asking me. He knows I intend to say no but clearly doesn’t care to actually hear me say it. I groan.

“I think we ought to.” Benny says. Victor nods in agreement.

“I’ll go track him down. I know he’s still here.” Cole offers. He takes off with a promise to return shortly.

“Guys. He’s gonna be such a buzzkill. I really think inviting him is a waste of time.” I whine.

“Dean. He seems like a nice guy and just the fact that he’s made it a week here tells me that he a’int as innocent as you think. Give him a chance.” Benny gives me a look that keeps me from even considering an argument.

“Fine.” I shut my locker a little louder than necessary and get a clean t-shirt from my duffle bag. I pull the one I’m wearing off and toss it back into the bag. I rifle through one of the side pockets for a little tin of my tattoo balm. The boys and I continue talking and joking while I rub the cream on my fresh tattoo. Its a pentagram that I got with Sam about a month ago. When mom found out about it she freaked a little bit because she thought Sam and I had converted to satanism. After some convincing and lots of research references, we proved to her that its actually a symbol for protection against evil.

As I’m twisting the lid back onto the tin, Castiel walks in. His eyes lock in on me and I suddenly feel very exposed. I quickly cross my arms over my chest to cover my nipples. Cole tosses an arm over Castiel’s shoulder. “Cas texted his old lady and let her know he’d be home late. We’ve got a new drinking buddy!” The guys cheer and I use the opportunity to pull my clean shirt on. I quickly stuff my things into my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

“Great. Are we ready to go?” I ask, trying to hide my annoyance. Probably unsuccessfully. Everyone glances to each other nodding and soon we’re all filing out of the locker room and heading to our cars. Benny gives Castiel some quick directions to the bar but advises him to follow us anyway.

When we arrive at the bar, we head to out usual table. Castiel pulls up a chair from another table and positions himself next to me. The waitress comes over and takes our orders for two beers, two shots of Patron, two straight whiskies, and a large basket of fried pickles. Like usual, the conversation quickly turns to girls.

“Benny, you have that date with Amanda yet?” Victor asks.

“Yes sir. I took her out to Joe’s Barbecue.”

“Did you get anything?” Cole asks, winking.

I quickly respond for Benny. “Come on Cole. You should know Benny ain’t like that.”

Castiel suddenly speaks up. I had honestly forgotten he was there. “I hear that place is great. How was the food?”

I almost chuckle at his question. He totally breezed past the ‘date’ part of the conversation and went straight to the food. That’s totally something I would do. The other guys do laugh and Victor says exactly what I’d been thinking. “Damn, Cas. You’ve been spending too much time with Dean. You’re starting to sound like him.”

Castiel looks at me with a slight twinge of fear. I think he may be starting to get the vibe that I don’t like him and worries for a moment that I’ll punch him for being associated with him. The thought does cross my mind but I figure that causing a bar fight before I get my fried pickles would be a waste. “Yeah, Castiel. The food was really good. You ought’ta try it sometime. Their chicken fried steak was awesome.” Benny chuckles.

Castiel nods. “I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe Hannah would be interested in trying it sometime.”

“Oohhh… _Hannah._ ” Cole starts. “Tell us about her. Haven’t heard much about this girl except that she keeps you on a short leash.”

Cas shrugs. “She does, but it’s understandable. When we met, I was a bit of a wild card. I think she thinks that watching out for me the way she does will help me. It does in a way so I’m thankful for her effort.”

“Wild card? Really? You?” I can’t help but ask. The idea of this guy going to a party or even being buzzed truly shocks me.

“Let’s just say, if she hadn’t helped me, I probably would have dropped out of college.” Castiel replies.

My pickles finally arrive and I go to town on them. I’m so concentrated on my food that I totally tune the guys out. When Castiel’s knee bumps my own, I snap out of it. I look at him expecting to see or hear an apology but the guy I see isn’t the same one I’d seen earlier. His suit jacket is hanging on the back of his chair and his hair is even more disheveled than usual. His eyes have a brightness you only get when intoxicated. I stare at him for a second in shock. He’s laughing his ass off at something Victor just did. I have no idea what it was but it was funny enough to leave him in a wheezing laugh. I slowly pull myself out of my stunned state to hear the DJ announce that the Karaoke machine is now open for business.

Castiel jumps from his seat. “Boys,” he slurs a little, “let me serenade you.” I can’t help but laugh at the way he stumbles when he leaves the table. He makes his way to the makeshift stage and exchanges a few words with the DJ. He gets to the mic and calls out to the waitress over the speakers. “I’m gonna need another tequila, ma’am. Please and thank you.” Even drunk this guy is polite. I can’t say the same for myself. She quickly returns with another shot. He downs it and hands her a ten dollar bill. She says thank you and laughs a little.

He clears his throat and introduces himself. “Hello. I’m Castiel. Y’all can call me Cas.” He slurs more than he did before. “This [song](https://youtu.be/xVS_EKg6N1k) is dedicated to my new friends, Benny, Cole, Dean and Vic. Love you guys.” He flashes a thumbs up to the DJ and the song kicks in. He start singing with a drawl he definitely doesn’t normally have. He reaches the second verse and starts taking his tie off. By the chorus, he’s swinging it around like a lasso and rolling his hips. The couple girls in the bar are cheering and he tosses the tie to one of them. Next he unbuttons his dress shirt. He pulls it off like he’s intentionally trying to make it hot. The girls scream and clap louder. The guys and I cheer and wolf whistle at him. We’re laughing so hard our stomachs start to hurt. He drapes his shirt over a drum set near by. The song ends and he blows kisses to everyone. When he returns to our table, the only clothing left on his upper half is a white t-shirt. It’s covered in sweat and clinging to his chest. He plops down in his seat and Victor, still howling with laughter, ruffles his hair.

“That was awesome buddy. See Dean, we told you he wouldn’t be a buzzkill. This guy’s awesome!”

My heart sinks when I see Castiel’s face shift for a second. I was hoping he wouldn’t have caught the second half of Victor’s comment. Castiel looks at me for a moment looking a little defeated. I can’t even make eye contact with him. He looks back at Victor and perks up. “What can I say, tequila really does make my clothes fall off.” He laughs and lifts the front of his shirt up. Pulling his shirt up wasn’t enough to prove his point though apparently because he also decides to lick his lips and moan.

The guys laugh even harder and I just stare at him in shock again. My stomach flips a little and I accredit it to the fact that I mixed whiskey and fried pickles. That combination has proven on multiple occasions to be a bad one, yet I continue to do it.

“Cas, you should be working at The Boobie Trap as a dancer, not an accountant!” Cole suggests, laughing.

Castiel shrugs and smiles. “I’d be making a lot more than what I do now. Why not?”

A few more drinks later, we decide to call it quits. Benny offers to drive Castiel home since he’s clearly too far gone to drive himself. We say our goodbyes and go our separate ways.

 

***

 

Friday morning, I wake up with a raging headache. The experienced drinker I am, however, knows to keep a huge bottle of ibuprofen on my nightstand. I instantly reach for the bottle and dump a few into my mouth, swallowing them without bothering to look for water. I collapse back in bed and shield my eyes from the sunlight pouring in. I’m just beginning to fall asleep again when my phone rings. I choose to let it go to voicemail but as soon as it does, it’s ringing again. I groan and answer it without seeing who it is.

“What?” I grumble.

“Dean? Are you alive? Planning to work today, Kid?”

“Bobby? What time is it?” I start to sit up but realize that’s probably not the best idea when my headache transforms into a feeling relative to having 80 pound of concrete dropped on it.

“It’s one o’clock. You’re four hours late.”

I glance at the clock on the other side of the room. “Shit. Bobby, I’m sorry. I went out with the guys after work last night. I can be in by two.”

“Don’t worry about it. The parts we needed for that Z28 didn’t come in today anyway. There wouldn’t be much for you to do. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He does sound a bit relieved compared to his introduction.

“Yeah I’m alright.” I rub my forehead and try not to groan at a shot of pain that rips through my head. “Thanks for checking in. Are you sure it’s alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. Just get some more sleep and I’ll see you on Monday.” He ends the call and I drop the phone into the bed. I’m debating taking a shower when my phone buzzes. This time with a text from Benny.

“ _Hey Brother. We need to talk.”_ That’s odd.

_“What’s up?”_

_“Better to talk about it in person. I’ll be over in 20.”_

I reply with an “okay” and make a beeline for the shower. I don’t really need to impress Benny but I also don’t need to smell like death when he gets here. The doorbell rings just as I’m wrapping a towel around my waist to make it back to my bedroom. I change direction and open the door.

“Hey.” Benny walks right past me to the fridge. He pulls out a bottle of water and picks a spot on the couch. “Go get some clothes on. I’m liable to catch a glimpse of your naked ass if you sit here in that towel. Trust me, I’m not interested in that.” He chuckles.

I do as I’m told and return just minutes later, fully clothed. “So what do we need to talk about?” I flop onto the opposite side of the couch, reclining against the arm.

Benny takes a deep breath and exhales it slow. “Castiel. What’s your problem with him?”

I roll my eyes. “You know what my problem is with him. He’s a loser.”

“Dean.” Benny looks me square in the face. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Is not!” I probably got a little too defensive too quick because Benny raises his eyebrows at me like he knows I’m lying out of my ass. “Look. I don’t know why I don’t like him. There’s something about him that just gives me a weird feeling. I don’t know what it is and believe me, I’ve tried to figure it out.”

He looks at me for a few seconds, pondering his response. “I understand not liking a person. I’ve done plenty of hating in my life for stupid reasons and it has never gotten me anywhere. Until you figure out a reason not to like that man, you need to stow your shit. It a’int fair to us guys who are friends with both of you and it especially a’int fair to him. I saw the way he looked when he found out what you’d said about him. He looked so heartbroken. From where I’m seein’ things, all he wants is friends and to be accepted. He’s already been put in a rough spot bein’ screwed with his career the way he’s been. The least we can do is offer him brotherly love.” His eyes are nearly pleading with me. Benny is known for reminding me to be a respectable guy and teaching me manners but this is the most serious I’ve seen him about something like this.

I sigh heavily. “I’ll try but don’t go expecting us to become best friends. I’m doing this for you and the guys.”

Benny shurgs. “That’s all I’m asking. Just be polite. Don’t be afraid to have a conversation with him. You might turn out to like him.”

I nod. “Can we be done with the heart-to-heart now?”

Benny chuckles. “Sure. Just promise you’ll apologize to him before next Thursday.”

I look at him hoping to see that he’s joking. He’s not. “Fine. Give me his number. I’ll call him later.”

Benny hands me his phone with Castiel’s contact page pulled up already. This had been his plan all along I suppose. I type the number into my phone and hand his back to him.

“Okay. Are you here to hang out too or just to kick my ass about not being a gentleman?” I’m only partly worried there’s more chop-busting coming my way.

“I was kinda thinking we could watch the Bennington Rodeo tonight. I think they’re streaming it on KSN.”

“Damn. A rodeo? Haven’t watched one of those in a while. Sounds like a good drinking opportunity.”

“Already on it. Got a case of Busch in the truck.”

I crack a smile. “Benny, keep reading my mind like that and I might have to marry you.”

He punches me in the shoulder and ruffles my hair. “Be right back. Find the channel.”

 

***

 

Saturday morning, I get a text from Benny reminding me to call Castiel. I consider telling Benny I apologized without actually doing it. He would know I was lying in a second though so I reluctantly dial Castiel’s phone number.

 _“Hello?”_ Well that’s not Castiel. The woman’s voice on the other end sounds tired, like she’s just woken up.

“Hey, uh, is Castiel there?” I’m suddenly really nervous. I also find myself hoping that I may have copied down the wrong number and won’t have to talk to him after all.

 _“Yes, he’s here. Who is this?”_ She asks.

“Dean Winchester. I work with Castiel. One of our buddies gave me his number. I gotta talk to him.”

 _“Just a moment.”_ There’s a rustling on the other end and I hear her say “honey” and “Winchester… work… phone.” There’s more rustling and a more familiar voice speaks up. _“Dean?”_

His voice sounds deeper than usual. I can imagine him cocking his head as he speaks.

“Hi, Castiel. Benny gave me your number. I need to talk to you.” I can overhear the woman open a door and say _“Cas, is everything okay?”_ and then, _“Yes it’s fine. Thank you.”_

 _“I’m sorry about the interruption. What do we need to discuss?”_ He sighs a little through his apology. Like he’s already been having a rough day at ten in the morning.

“Uh, yeah.” My heart picks up its pace suddenly and for a second I think I’m having a heart attack. “I wanted to apologize.”

 _“For what?”_ His voice is laced with confusion and I’m sure he’s doing the puppy-dog head tilt.

“Last night, Benny brought to my attention that I’ve been an asshole to you. I wanted to say I’m sorry. Especially since I don’t even know you really.”

There’s a long pause on the other end. _“I’m not particularly keen to social cues but, yes, I did notice your disdain for me. I’m just not really sure why.”_

Great. Now this is becoming a whole conversation. I just wanted to to give my apologies and never talk about it again. “I don’t know, man. I guess I just don’t like the idea of some rich kid coming into my territory and talking up my girls all while talking down about my club.” What I’ve just told him is true to an extent but I know he isn’t a threat. I’ve got all those girls wrapped around my finger. The main reason is still a mystery but I can’t exactly tell the guy “there’s just something about you that irritates me. There’s nothing you can do to fix it. I’m just meant to hate you.”

Castiel scoffs. _“Rich? You think I’m rich? Just because I went to college doesn’t mean I have buckets of money around my house. I worked very hard to get where I am. I made it through college on scholarships and student loans.”_

He sounds a little annoyed. “What about the suits and your briefcase? Scholarships don’t buy you those things.”

“My suits belonged to my father and the briefcase was a gift from one of my sisters.”

As the realization of what he’s said sinks in, my heart drops into my stomach. “I’m sorry you lost your dad. I lost mine too. It really sucks.” My voice is much softer than before and I know he notices.

He sighs and is about to speak when I hear a door open again. _“Sweetie, are you sure everything is okay? What about work is so important that you need to talk about it on a Saturday morning?”_ I hear him put the phone down. _“Hannah, please. Just give me a moment. It isn’t work related but it’s still important.”_ He’s clearly annoyed with the interruption and is trying not to let it show. The door closes and he picks up the phone again with a groan.

“Lady troubles?” I joke.

 _“Yes, you could say that.”_ He clears his throat. “ _Thank you for your apology and I hope that we can be friends. I do really like the other guys and I believe it would be a shame if we couldn’t go out after work with them because of conflict. I would really like to continue this conversation but it seems Hannah feels she’s being deprived of attention. Can we discuss this further after work on Thursday?”_

I can’t help wonder if Hannah may have overheard that comment. “Yeah Thursday night. I’ll talk to you then. Thanks.”

“Goodbye, Dean.” The phone clicks, ending the call.

The rest of the week, I spend trying to figure out what Castiel is really like. If his life isn’t all silver spoons and seven course meals, what is it? Why had he been so annoyed with his girlfriend? How long ago did he his dad die?

I start making a mental list of questions to ask him when we talk again. Honestly, I’m excited to find out the answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I included a country song. My apologies. Hope you enjoyed this long chapter. More to come next week.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Thanks for reading Dancing Shadows! I intend to post a new chapter every Thursday. I have a second fic that uploads on Tuesdays called "Doctor's In". Feel free to check it out and stay tuned!  
> Each chapter of this story will mention a song (nearly always classic rock) which I will link somewhere in it.
> 
> Share with all your internet pals!  
> -Dima <3


End file.
